The Henson Journals

[12]

Sturday, November 18th, 1922.

The Sultan, Mehmed Vahid–ed–Din, has fled for protection to a British Warship, & been carried to Malta. What a strange medley of historic memories the fact awakens in the mind of an educated man! The Khaliph refuses to abdicate, & carries with him all the 'spiritual' authority which he possesses throughout the 'orthodox' Mohammedan world. It will be interesting to watch the effect of his flight from Constantinople will have in India.

I celebrated the Holy Communion in Carissima's bedroom . Marion and Kate communicated also. This is probably the last time that I shall minister to the dear Lady: perhaps this visit will be the last I shall make her. If she lives to January 1923 she will have held the maternal relation towards me for 50 years. Apart from other things, I owe it to her that I was allowed to go to Oxford. She insisted upon presenting me with her gold chain before I went off! Marion thought she would be distressed if I refused to take it.

I returned to London in the afternoon, & put up in Park Lane. There was a pleasant dinner–party – Lrd Durham, Lady Linlithgow, Sir John Hewart & his daughter, an American & his wife. The said American told me that he had dined with the President & a whole being of leading Americans, & wine in abundance was offered & consumed freely!

[13]

Cockburn's account of Scott's military ardour might be worth quoting in my Edinburgh speech. It illustrated his complete absorption in the general mood.

"He was the soul of the Edinburgh troop of Midlothian Yeomanry Cavalry. It was not a duty with him, or a necessity, or a pastime, but an absolute passion, indulgence in which gratified his feudal taste for war & his jovial suitableness. He drilled, and drank, and made songs, with a hearty conscientious earnestness which inspired or shamed everybody within the attraction": p. 181.

The description of Scott's brilliant emergence into fame with the publication of the Lay of the Last Ministrel in 1805, & the analysis of his power on p. 195–7 are quite admirable.

On p. 259 there is a picture of Scott in society which is worth quoting. The discussions of the authorship of 'Waverley' in 1814. "The truth is that these novels were rather the outpourings of old thoughts than new inventions". p. 271.

The impression made by Scott's "utterly unexpected bankruptcy" in 1826 is well described, & the account of Scott's demeanour on the morrow of the calamity is admirable. v. p. 402/3.

Cockburn & Richardson visited Scott in Sept. 1828. "His simplicity and naturalness after all his fame are absolutely incredible… No bad idea will be formed of Scott's conversation by supposing one of his Scotch novels to be cut into talk" p. 423. This is a portrait drawn from life by a master in portraiture.

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